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opposite, removing three live theatres from the one-time centre of
Melbourne's entertainment district. The new venue never eventuated, and the facade was left standing until 1938, when the part of the site once occupied by the front portion of the arcade was sold to the Commonwealth Bank, which built
83:
on 6 November 1876. Seating about 1600, it was designed by Reed & Barnes, and located on a deep site, with the theatre at the rear, located above a wide passageway running through the site, called the
Victoria Arcade. The arcade featured billiard and refreshment rooms, and access to the theatre
129:
The Bijou
Theatre was destroyed by fire on Easter Monday, 1889, which spared the hotel and the front part of the arcade. A new, larger Bijou Theatre seating up to 2000 with two balconies and six boxes was built on the site, designed by George Johnson, opening in early 1890. At the same time, the
149:'s brief appearance on the Australian stage in 1901— no sooner did he start to recount details of his amazing adventures than he was mercilessly howled down by the audience. The theatre was further renovated and altered in 1907. Later lessees included
176:
In 1930, the Gaiety was converted to a full time cinema renamed the Roxy, with
Fullers announcing grand plans for the whole complex, and closing the hotel. After weathering the Great Depression, with plans by
181:
to build a new large theatre and modern hotel, the theatres were closed and demolished along with the hotel starting in
February 1934. The demolition came only a few months after the demolition of the
126:
In 1888-9, Wilson built the Palace Hotel next door, behind existing shops at 227-223 Bourke Street, accessed via the
Victoria Arcade. The hotel included a very large dining room at ground level.
103:, in the same block. In June 1884 it was purchased for £47,000 by John Alfred Wilson (c.1832-1915), who later developed the site next door as a hotel. Lewis was followed as lessee in 1885 by the
820:
157:
management bought the freehold of the Palace Hotel and the Gaiety, and the lease of the Bijou, and promoted it as the 'Home of Clean
Vaudeville', with performers included 'Stiffy', '
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118:
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a 10 storey bank and office building, completed in 1941. Fuller revived his plans after WW2, but the remainder of the site stayed vacant and used a car park.
107:, who had often played in that theatre. Business was slow however, and when Majeroni fell behind in the rent, Wilson transferred the lease to
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1923 Fire
Insurance plan of the block of Bourke Street showing the Bijou and Gaiety Theatres and other theatres nearby.
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Wood engraving showing the laying of the foundation stone for the
Academy of Music, June 12, 1876
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91:, who staged concerts and plays on alternate evenings, and in 1880 changed name to the
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was from a grand stair off Bourke Street, as well as stairs running off the arcade.
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434:. Vol. LI, no. 17, 724. Western Australia. 27 February 1932. p. 4
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270:. Vol. XVI, no. 1236. Victoria, Australia. 11 March 1880. p. 2
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298:. Vol. XLIX, no. 11, 732. South Australia. 20 June 1884. p. 5
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dining room of the Palace Hotel was refitted as a smaller theatre, the
518:. No. 1067. New South Wales, Australia. 17 April 1907. p. 12
326:. No. 12, 348. Victoria, Australia. 25 September 1915. p. 12
652:. No. 17, 699. Victoria, Australia. 5 February 1934. p. 4
572:. No. 16402. Victoria, Australia. 10 December 1929. p. 8
462:. No. 13, 583. Victoria, Australia. 4 January 1890. p. 8
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680:. No. 19, 079. Victoria, Australia. 12 July 1938. p. 11
490:. No. 16, 848. Victoria, Australia. 19 March 1901. p. 4
354:. No. 3582. Victoria, Australia. 3 September 1887. p. 3
79:, built for Samuel Aarons, which opened with a performance by
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45:
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145:The Bijou was the scene of self-styled adventurer
141:Scenes at the opening of the Academy of Music 1876
821:Demolished buildings and structures in Melbourne
8:
826:Buildings and structures demolished in 1934
688:– via National Library of Australia.
660:– via National Library of Australia.
580:– via National Library of Australia.
526:– via National Library of Australia.
498:– via National Library of Australia.
470:– via National Library of Australia.
442:– via National Library of Australia.
362:– via National Library of Australia.
334:– via National Library of Australia.
306:– via National Library of Australia.
278:– via National Library of Australia.
95:, as if to distinguish it from the larger
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71:The first theatre on the site at 217-223
644:"Wreckers Start Work on the Bijou Today"
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16:Former theatre in Melbourne, Australia
777:"Big Amusement Centre For Bijou Site"
7:
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165:and others subleased the theatre.
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234:Colligan, Mimi; Kumm, Elisabeth.
204:"OPENING OF THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC"
161:' and George Wallace. From 1929,
134:, also accessed via the arcade.
29:
60:
672:"Passing of Old Bijou Theatre"
510:"New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne"
400:"DISASTROUS FIRE IN MELBOURNE"
153:and William Anderson. In 1915
1:
816:Former theatres in Melbourne
756:Victorian Heritage Database
592:"BIJOU AND GAIETY THEATRES"
842:
752:"Former Commonwealth Bank"
77:Victorian Academy of Music
295:South Australian Register
242:. University of Melbourne
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73:Bourke Street, Melbourne
49:Bourke Street, Melbourne
35:Bijou Theatre, Melbourne
454:"The New Bijou Theatre"
374:"PROGRESSIVE MELBOURNE"
649:The Herald (Melbourne)
351:The Herald (Melbourne)
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142:
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459:The Argus (Melbourne)
208:Australasian Sketcher
171:
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87:The first lessee was
811:History of Melbourne
404:Mount Alexander Mail
290:"Colonial Telegrams"
538:"TWO THEATRES SOLD"
346:"The Bijou Theatre"
318:"J. A. Wilson Dies"
262:"The Bijou Theatre"
41:General information
783:. 23 February 1946
704:Sun News-Pictorial
700:"End of The Bijou"
624:. 10 February 1934
618:"Vast New Theatre"
487:Geelong Advertiser
380:. 16 February 1889
210:. 25 November 1876
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147:Louis De Rougement
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426:"Victorian Fires"
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598:. 10 March 1930
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564:"Bijou Theatre"
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406:. 24 April 1889
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236:"Bijou Theatre"
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732:. 16 June 1938
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706:. 16 July 1938
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482:"De Rougement"
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163:Gregan McMahon
151:Harry Rickards
89:G. B. W. Lewis
81:Ilma de Murska
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544:. 7 July 1915
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24:Bijou Theatre
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785:. Retrieved
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622:Australasian
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378:Weekly Times
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515:The Referee
101:Opera House
805:Categories
677:The Herald
569:The Herald
323:The Herald
240:eMelbourne
190:References
155:Ben Fuller
113:Boucicault
62:Demolished
684:4 October
656:19 August
576:4 October
522:4 October
494:19 August
466:4 October
438:4 October
274:4 October
105:Majeronis
787:27 March
761:27 March
736:27 March
710:27 March
628:27 March
602:27 March
548:27 March
410:28 March
384:27 March
358:21 March
330:22 March
302:21 March
214:28 March
75:was the
46:Location
246:5 April
179:Fullers
542:Herald
132:Gaiety
109:Brough
54:Opened
781:Argus
730:Argus
789:2024
763:2024
738:2024
712:2024
686:2020
658:2021
630:2024
604:2024
578:2020
550:2024
524:2020
496:2021
468:2020
440:2020
412:2024
386:2024
360:2021
332:2021
304:2021
276:2020
248:2021
216:2024
111:and
99:and
65:1934
57:1876
596:Age
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
